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Two northwest suburban men were charged with child endangerment after they allegedly left two young children in a car while they claimed a prize inside a casino, police said.

Thomas Mirato, 71, and Tony Mirato, 44, both of Norridge, are accused of leaving a 10-year-old and an infant in the car on July 31 for about 40 minutes, Des Plaines Police said. Thomas Mirato is the children's guardian.

The kids were left while the two men went inside Rivers Casino in Des Plaines to claim a free prize, according to police. The car's lights were on, the windows were rolled down, and the keys were in the ignition.

Security called police at about 12:10 p.m. when they saw the kids in the car. Police said the men returned at about 12:50 p.m. and were arrested.

Police said the men told officers they had only been inside the casino for about 10 minutes. They were taken to the Des Plaines Police Department with the children, who were then turned over to Thomas Mirato's girlfriend.

Thomas and Tony Mirato were released on bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 11.

Published at 10:52 AM CST on Aug 6, 2014

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